Building Micro and Macro Common Ground: A Continued Conversation: Chat on Oct. 22

(Here is a link to this chat’s transcript:
http://bit.ly/1RsxM9Z)

It was evident on the April 23 #MacroSW Twitter chat with guest expert, The American Clinical Social Work Association (ACSWA), there is an interconnectedness between micro and macro practice. Many people in the profession expressed the necessity for bridging the gap between these two practices and, as we all know, there are endless possibilities for joint work under the umbrella of our core social work values.

Given the energized conversation around this topic, ACSWA will again be featured on the #MacroSW Twitter chat, Building Micro and Macro Common Ground: A Continued Conversation, held on Thursday, October 22 at 9 pm EDT (6 pm Pacific). Join us on Twitter for a robust discussion with Michael Brooks, MSW, BCD (Emeritus), the Director, Policy and Business Development for the Center for Clinical Social Work.

For this chat, we’ll further brainstorm about how to facilitate the collaboration between these practices while social workers still focus on the type of work they love. We’ll also dig into the obstacles that prevent joint macro and clinical practice work and share examples of how social workers and other healthcare disciplines have partnered successfully across specialties.

Here are questions to be explored:

1. Does policy or clinical practice drive change?
2. Share examples about how clinicians have engaged in macro practice. What were the tipping points?
3. Share examples of macro focused practitioners who have engaged clinicians in developing policies.
4. What obstacles have you encountered integrating micro and/or macro practice into your work life?
5. How can micro and macro practitioners engage associations, SW schools and workplaces to take an integrated view?

Storified: Our Advocates, Ourselves: Building Micro Macro Common Ground. #MacroSW Chat 4/23.

MacroSW 4/23 Recap on ACSWA Blog

Resources

• Social Work and Social Reform: An Arena of Struggle, Oxford Journal, Abramovitz, M. (1998)
• Macro Matters Campaign, Macro Social Work Student Campaign Social Work Matters, The Power of Linking Policy and Practice, NASW Press.
• Case’ and ‘Cause’ in Social Work Education — A Balancing Act, Social Work Today, March/April 2012 Issue
• 2013 Annual Statistics on Social Work Education in the United States, Council on Social Work Education
• Why Macro Matters, Michael Reisch, University of Maryland, commissioned by the Special Commission to Advance Macro Practice in Social Work initiated by the Association of Community Organization and Social Administration (ACOSA) in 2013.
• Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mental and Substance-Use Conditions: Quality Chasm Series – Institute of Medicine
• Mental Health and Addiction Workforce Development: Federal Leadership is Needed to Address the Growing Crisis.  (Health Affairs, 32 (11), 2005-2012, 2013. Authored by The Annapolis Coalition on the Behavioral Health Workforce)
• Lexicon for Behavioral Health and Primary Care Integration, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, April 2013
• NOW! MAKE MACRO MATTER:Taking Further Action to Address the Macro Imbalance in Social Work Education

Our partners include:

• Association for Community Organizing and Social Administration (ACOSA), @acosaorg
• Karen Zgoda, MSW, LCSW, Instructor of Social Work at Bridgewater State University, @karenzgoda
• Rachel West, The Political Social Worker, @poliSW
• University at Buffalo School of Social Work, @ubssw
• Sunya Folayan, MSW, ACSW, founder/executive director, The Empowerment Project, Inc., @SunyaFolayan
• Laurel Hitchcock, PhD, Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of Alabama at Birmingham,@Laurelhitchcock
• Kristin Battista-Frazee, MSW, Author and Marketing Consultant, @porndaughter

In addition to the active partners above, founding chat partners include:

• Deona Hooper, Editor in Chief and Founder of Social Work Helper (@swhelpercom), @deonahooper
• University of Southern California School of Social Work, @mswatusc
• Network for Social Work Management (NSWM), @TheNSWM